info
Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss
6 Tools to Make Archival Research More Efficient
12 views
Skip to first unread message
Steve Hayes
Nov 12, 2014, 4:17:23 AM11/12/14
to
6 Tools to Make Archival Research More Efficient
November 9, 2014 - 7:56pm
By Emily VanBuren
Emily VanBuren is a PhD student in History at Northwestern University. You can
find her on Twitter at @emilydvb or at her blog, dighistorienne.
As an historian, I spend a lot of time in the archives, rifling through dusty
old boxes in search of treasure for my dissertation. Learning how to do
archival research has been an exercise in learning to work more efficiently.
Because grant budgets can only go so far, it’s important to make use of every
minute when visiting faraway libraries and repositories, capturing as much
information as possible to bring home with me. Here at GradHacker, we’ve
featured many tools for organizing your research data once you’ve already
collected it. But for the other humanists and social scientists out there, I
thought it was worth sharing a few pointers for actually gathering the
information in the archives to begin with. Here are a few of the gadgets I
rely on to make my research trips productive (and posture-friendly):
Apps for managing finding aids: I like to use a combination of two apps to
keep me organized when heading into the archives, so that I can keep track of
which items I need to examine, which items I’ve already seen, and any notes I
want to make. First, I store a copy of the finding aid for each collection in
GoodReader on my iPad in PDF format, which allows me to annotate each one
easily, highlighting boxes I might want to see and making notes next to each
item about what I’m hoping to find. I organize these finding aids by
institution, so each repository gets its own folder in this app. Next, I use
trusty old Google Drive to make a master plan for myself and stay on task,
creating a basic spreadsheet to list each box/folder/item I’d like to call up
from storage. I also log the date I examined each item, and make small notes
about anything that jumps out at me.
Camera: I switch back and forth between a DSLR with a display screen and my
iPhone, depending on what sort of resolution I need to capture. Several of my
colleagues have recommended checking out refurbished DSLRs to save some cash.
I use a DSLR most of the time, but I find that as long as I’m just
photographing text documents (and not images or objects that I might want to
feature in a publication someday), my phone does a fine job. The only problem
I’ve encountered is when I need to run OCR on old typewritten texts
(especially from newspapers), because the image resolution in my iPhone photos
doesn’t always make the printed letters crisp enough. If you suspect you might
like to run OCR on any older, faded texts you’re photographing, I’d recommend
using an actual camera.
Wireless SD card: I usually transfer my images to my computer the
old-fashioned way, connecting my camera to my laptop, then dragging them
straight into Dropbox. But after catching a few blog posts about wifi-enabled
SD cards, I’m thinking about giving them a shot. Eyefi, for example, makes an
SD card that fits right into your camera and then, via wifi, automatically
uploads your images to your phone (and even the web) as you shoot them. The
point is to make your camera operate more like your smartphone, making it easy
to share images instead of relying on cords to upload them to your computer.
Eyefi comes in two varieties (Pro X2 or Mobi) and four sizes (4, 8, 16, and 32
GB), and begins at about $45 on Amazon.
Table grip: I highly recommend investing in a table mount for your camera.
First of all, your back, neck, and shoulders will thank you, because it will
save you from having to keep your arms elevated (and often in an awkward
position) to continually snap photos. Second, the images of your documents
will come out clear and perfectly-framed, because the table grip will keep the
camera steady and at the proper angle. It’s also a good idea to carry around a
piece of paper, to position under the grip in order to prevent leaving any
marks on the table. (See also this post from ProfHacker on constructing your
own articulated arm.) Alternatively, you can opt for a tripod, but I find
those a bit less convenient both when it comes to looking at the display
screen and when it comes to shooting large-size documents. And if you’d rather
use your smartphone than a camera, you can even buy a table stand for your
iPhone. If you prefer a tripod, you can find dozens on websites like eBay and
Photojojo.
Remote control: In order to use the table grip efficiently, I also rely on a
simple remote control. This means that once I have my shot focused and the
boundaries of my frame all sorted out, I can zip through my items really
quickly. I just place the document on the table within the parameters of my
frame (which I mark out with scraps of paper), grab two snaps with my remote
control (I like the extra one for good measure), return the document to its
folder, and move on to the next one. I use the remote that comes with the
camera, but you can try this approach even if you are relying on your
smartphone. You can pair your mounted iPhone with a Bluetooth device (like an
Apple wireless keyboard or a remote), or even plug in your headphones and use
them as a makeshift remote control, squeezing the volume buttons to release
the shutter.
Scanner apps: ProfHacker featured a post on digital workflow in the archives
last year, and the author recommended using Turboscan, an iPhone app that
allows you to convert images to PDFs. I’ve tried Scanner Pro for basic 8.5 x
11” text documents, and I especially like that the app automatically detects
the proper edges and corners of the document, and that it syncs easily with
Dropbox. And for $2.99 (on sale), it’s grad-student-budget-friendly. If you
feel like spending a little more (about $6.99), you can also try PDFpen Scan+,
which not only scans documents but also runs OCR and converts them into
fully-searchable PDFs.
I’m always trying to streamline my archival workflow in order to squeeze more
productivity out of my research trips, but a combination of these tools seems
to do the trick pretty well. This system allows me to collect data as quickly
as possible (which I then import into the database I’ve set up in DEVONthink
Pro Office), so I can save time and energy.
What tools and gadgets do you like to use when researching in the archives?
http://t.co/9fxkbPGloA
https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/gradhacker/6-tools-make-archival-research-more-efficient
--
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
Web: http://www.khanya.org.za/stevesig.htm
Blog: http://khanya.wordpress.com
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk
November 9, 2014 - 7:56pm
By Emily VanBuren
Emily VanBuren is a PhD student in History at Northwestern University. You can
find her on Twitter at @emilydvb or at her blog, dighistorienne.
As an historian, I spend a lot of time in the archives, rifling through dusty
old boxes in search of treasure for my dissertation. Learning how to do
archival research has been an exercise in learning to work more efficiently.
Because grant budgets can only go so far, it’s important to make use of every
minute when visiting faraway libraries and repositories, capturing as much
information as possible to bring home with me. Here at GradHacker, we’ve
featured many tools for organizing your research data once you’ve already
collected it. But for the other humanists and social scientists out there, I
thought it was worth sharing a few pointers for actually gathering the
information in the archives to begin with. Here are a few of the gadgets I
rely on to make my research trips productive (and posture-friendly):
Apps for managing finding aids: I like to use a combination of two apps to
keep me organized when heading into the archives, so that I can keep track of
which items I need to examine, which items I’ve already seen, and any notes I
want to make. First, I store a copy of the finding aid for each collection in
GoodReader on my iPad in PDF format, which allows me to annotate each one
easily, highlighting boxes I might want to see and making notes next to each
item about what I’m hoping to find. I organize these finding aids by
institution, so each repository gets its own folder in this app. Next, I use
trusty old Google Drive to make a master plan for myself and stay on task,
creating a basic spreadsheet to list each box/folder/item I’d like to call up
from storage. I also log the date I examined each item, and make small notes
about anything that jumps out at me.
Camera: I switch back and forth between a DSLR with a display screen and my
iPhone, depending on what sort of resolution I need to capture. Several of my
colleagues have recommended checking out refurbished DSLRs to save some cash.
I use a DSLR most of the time, but I find that as long as I’m just
photographing text documents (and not images or objects that I might want to
feature in a publication someday), my phone does a fine job. The only problem
I’ve encountered is when I need to run OCR on old typewritten texts
(especially from newspapers), because the image resolution in my iPhone photos
doesn’t always make the printed letters crisp enough. If you suspect you might
like to run OCR on any older, faded texts you’re photographing, I’d recommend
using an actual camera.
Wireless SD card: I usually transfer my images to my computer the
old-fashioned way, connecting my camera to my laptop, then dragging them
straight into Dropbox. But after catching a few blog posts about wifi-enabled
SD cards, I’m thinking about giving them a shot. Eyefi, for example, makes an
SD card that fits right into your camera and then, via wifi, automatically
uploads your images to your phone (and even the web) as you shoot them. The
point is to make your camera operate more like your smartphone, making it easy
to share images instead of relying on cords to upload them to your computer.
Eyefi comes in two varieties (Pro X2 or Mobi) and four sizes (4, 8, 16, and 32
GB), and begins at about $45 on Amazon.
Table grip: I highly recommend investing in a table mount for your camera.
First of all, your back, neck, and shoulders will thank you, because it will
save you from having to keep your arms elevated (and often in an awkward
position) to continually snap photos. Second, the images of your documents
will come out clear and perfectly-framed, because the table grip will keep the
camera steady and at the proper angle. It’s also a good idea to carry around a
piece of paper, to position under the grip in order to prevent leaving any
marks on the table. (See also this post from ProfHacker on constructing your
own articulated arm.) Alternatively, you can opt for a tripod, but I find
those a bit less convenient both when it comes to looking at the display
screen and when it comes to shooting large-size documents. And if you’d rather
use your smartphone than a camera, you can even buy a table stand for your
iPhone. If you prefer a tripod, you can find dozens on websites like eBay and
Photojojo.
Remote control: In order to use the table grip efficiently, I also rely on a
simple remote control. This means that once I have my shot focused and the
boundaries of my frame all sorted out, I can zip through my items really
quickly. I just place the document on the table within the parameters of my
frame (which I mark out with scraps of paper), grab two snaps with my remote
control (I like the extra one for good measure), return the document to its
folder, and move on to the next one. I use the remote that comes with the
camera, but you can try this approach even if you are relying on your
smartphone. You can pair your mounted iPhone with a Bluetooth device (like an
Apple wireless keyboard or a remote), or even plug in your headphones and use
them as a makeshift remote control, squeezing the volume buttons to release
the shutter.
Scanner apps: ProfHacker featured a post on digital workflow in the archives
last year, and the author recommended using Turboscan, an iPhone app that
allows you to convert images to PDFs. I’ve tried Scanner Pro for basic 8.5 x
11” text documents, and I especially like that the app automatically detects
the proper edges and corners of the document, and that it syncs easily with
Dropbox. And for $2.99 (on sale), it’s grad-student-budget-friendly. If you
feel like spending a little more (about $6.99), you can also try PDFpen Scan+,
which not only scans documents but also runs OCR and converts them into
fully-searchable PDFs.
I’m always trying to streamline my archival workflow in order to squeeze more
productivity out of my research trips, but a combination of these tools seems
to do the trick pretty well. This system allows me to collect data as quickly
as possible (which I then import into the database I’ve set up in DEVONthink
Pro Office), so I can save time and energy.
What tools and gadgets do you like to use when researching in the archives?
http://t.co/9fxkbPGloA
https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/gradhacker/6-tools-make-archival-research-more-efficient
--
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
Web: http://www.khanya.org.za/stevesig.htm
Blog: http://khanya.wordpress.com
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk
J. Hugh Sullivan
Nov 12, 2014, 7:38:12 AM11/12/14
to
On Wed, 12 Nov 2014 11:21:13 +0200, Steve Hayes
<haye...@telkomsa.net> wrote:
>As an historian,
I received my BS degree in math in 1950 so I am out of touch with
educational realities.
But "AN" historian? I thought the rules had changed to leaving off the
"n" if it sounded better in like instances.. So "a historian" would be
proper (also?).
I'm not here to argue. I just want to know if what I think is right or
wrong.
Hugh
<haye...@telkomsa.net> wrote:
>As an historian,
I received my BS degree in math in 1950 so I am out of touch with
educational realities.
But "AN" historian? I thought the rules had changed to leaving off the
"n" if it sounded better in like instances.. So "a historian" would be
proper (also?).
I'm not here to argue. I just want to know if what I think is right or
wrong.
Hugh
Ian Goddard
Nov 12, 2014, 9:04:05 AM11/12/14
to
On 12/11/14 09:21, Steve Hayes wrote:
> 6 Tools to Make Archival Research More Efficient
> November 9, 2014 - 7:56pm
>
> By Emily VanBuren
%><
> 6 Tools to Make Archival Research More Efficient
> November 9, 2014 - 7:56pm
>
> By Emily VanBuren
> And for $2.99 (on sale), it’s grad-student-budget-friendly.
> as possible (which I then import into the database I’ve set up in DEVONthink
> Pro Office), so I can save time and energy.
She's worrying about grad-student-budget friendliness but uses S/W only
> Pro Office), so I can save time and energy.
available for Macs? Or maybe the University provides the computer.
On the subject of imaging devices for use in archives I so the Flip-Pal
demonstrated at a FH fair a year or so ago by these folk
http://www.genealogysupplies.com/product/Flip-Pal-Mobile-Scanners/Flip-Pal-Mobile-Scanner
although as it seems to need to rest on the document I'm not sure
whether archives would welcome it in practice.
--
Ian
The Hotmail address is my spam-bin. Real mail address is iang
at austonley org uk
Ian Goddard
Nov 12, 2014, 9:12:27 AM11/12/14
to
On 12/11/14 12:38, Ea...@bellsouth.net (J. Hugh Sullivan) wrote:
> On Wed, 12 Nov 2014 11:21:13 +0200, Steve Hayes
> <haye...@telkomsa.net> wrote:
>
>> As an historian,
>
> On Wed, 12 Nov 2014 11:21:13 +0200, Steve Hayes
> <haye...@telkomsa.net> wrote:
>
>> As an historian,
>
> But "AN" historian? I thought the rules had changed to leaving off the
> "n" if it sounded better in like instances.. So "a historian" would be
> proper (also?).
Does that mean you got past "historienne" without choking?
> "n" if it sounded better in like instances.. So "a historian" would be
> proper (also?).
Charlie Hoffpauir
Nov 12, 2014, 9:53:43 AM11/12/14
to
Charlie Hoffpauir
Nov 12, 2014, 9:59:44 AM11/12/14
to
she said "'istory".
J. Hugh Sullivan
Nov 12, 2014, 10:54:20 AM11/12/14
to
>http://www.infoplease.com/askeds/vs.html
Color me "a Historian".
My silent letter is the p in swimming.
An "istorian" is worse than looking out the windur.
Hugh
Color me "a Historian".
My silent letter is the p in swimming.
An "istorian" is worse than looking out the windur.
Hugh
Steve Hayes
Nov 12, 2014, 11:49:44 AM11/12/14
to
But that kind of thing is more properly discussed in alt.usage.english.
--
Steve Hayes
Web: http://hayesgreene.wordpress.com/
http://hayesgreene.blogspot.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/afgen/
Steve Hayes
Nov 12, 2014, 11:56:07 AM11/12/14
to
On Wed, 12 Nov 2014 14:04:04 +0000, Ian Goddard <godd...@hotmail.co.uk>
wrote:
>On 12/11/14 09:21, Steve Hayes wrote:
>> 6 Tools to Make Archival Research More Efficient
>> November 9, 2014 - 7:56pm
>>
>> By Emily VanBuren
>%><
>> And for $2.99 (on sale), it’s grad-student-budget-friendly.
>
>> as possible (which I then import into the database I’ve set up in DEVONthink
>> Pro Office), so I can save time and energy.
>
>She's worrying about grad-student-budget friendliness but uses S/W only
>available for Macs? Or maybe the University provides the computer.
>
>On the subject of imaging devices for use in archives I so the Flip-Pal
>demonstrated at a FH fair a year or so ago by these folk
>http://www.genealogysupplies.com/product/Flip-Pal-Mobile-Scanners/Flip-Pal-Mobile-Scanner
>although as it seems to need to rest on the document I'm not sure
>whether archives would welcome it in practice.
My question is how many researchers photograph archival documents without
taking notes from them, and how they then find the photos they have taken when
they need them -- and the information in those documents?
I have an app in my (Androis) phone that scans a document to .pdf, and once
managed to copy such a document to Evernote, but for the most part I find it
easier to type summaries of the documents I find into text databases, where I
can find them again without too much trouble. But maybe I'm behind the times,
and DSLRs are essential to the modern researcher.
wrote:
>On 12/11/14 09:21, Steve Hayes wrote:
>> 6 Tools to Make Archival Research More Efficient
>> November 9, 2014 - 7:56pm
>>
>> By Emily VanBuren
>%><
>> And for $2.99 (on sale), it’s grad-student-budget-friendly.
>
>> as possible (which I then import into the database I’ve set up in DEVONthink
>> Pro Office), so I can save time and energy.
>
>She's worrying about grad-student-budget friendliness but uses S/W only
>available for Macs? Or maybe the University provides the computer.
>
>On the subject of imaging devices for use in archives I so the Flip-Pal
>demonstrated at a FH fair a year or so ago by these folk
>http://www.genealogysupplies.com/product/Flip-Pal-Mobile-Scanners/Flip-Pal-Mobile-Scanner
>although as it seems to need to rest on the document I'm not sure
>whether archives would welcome it in practice.
taking notes from them, and how they then find the photos they have taken when
they need them -- and the information in those documents?
I have an app in my (Androis) phone that scans a document to .pdf, and once
managed to copy such a document to Evernote, but for the most part I find it
easier to type summaries of the documents I find into text databases, where I
can find them again without too much trouble. But maybe I'm behind the times,
and DSLRs are essential to the modern researcher.
0 new messages